Faithful on Fridays Blog

Any organization thrives when there’s good leadership and as Paul continued to disciple or lead Titus, he continued clarifying his points. Churches have reputations as any organization, and it’s no less important. Those reputations are based on the behavior of the people who belong, in both word and deed, and remembering that is vital to our face in the community. 

Chapter Two reminds us that ‘sound doctrine’, which simply means what we believe is healthy and balanced, is what the community sees in our people. Do we represent Christ well? Paul mentions all types of people in the church, older, younger, and even servants, to be sure their behavior shows their faith in action and the reputation of the Church brings glory to Jesus Christ. We are to be steadfast or enduring troubles in  faith, watching our words, and showing self-control; when we pay attention to these issues God’s Word is shown to be real and true. Why? Because we care more about what God thinks about us than what others do. Grab your Bible or Bible App (https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/) and check out how Paul describes church leaders as examples for us to follow, not simply talking the talk but also walking the walk. 

In verses 11-15 we have one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture describing the first and second appearances of Christ. Paul called Jesus the ‘Grace of God’, meaning that He embodied the Father’s undeserved love and forgiveness, freely offered to anyone with no expection of anything in return. Here’s the clincher: you have to want it. It doesn’t come automatically, it comes because you’ve recognized you’re a sinner and need His forgiveness. It’s as simple as that. When that happens you begin to care what God thinks about your behavior and undoubtedly make some changes. He gives you help, you’re not alone, that’s the purpose of the Holy Spirit, and transformation begins. Paul knew that Crete was full of paganism, but he also knew that a changed life, a metamorphosis, was the most powerful proof of the reality of faith.

We’re not simply living as if waiting for death, we’re living waiting for more life, a different kind of life, when we move from here to there: heaven, our waiting room. Jesus’ Second Coming is called the Blessed Hope, meaning that He’s coming back to restore this world to what we experienced in the beginning: paradise. The entrance to this new kind of life is based on whether or not you’ve asked Jesus, the One who endured execution in your place, to wash away your sin. Let’s see … there’s only two choices: heaven or hell? It seems like a no-brainer to me; it only takes humility.

When you walk with Jesus, appreciating His sacrifice for you, your perspectives change and so does your behavior. You care about people, Paul said ‘passionate for good works’, and then you build His reputation by building your own. This life is only temporary, and that’s good.